Why providing a work/life balance is a win-win situation
Attracting the best possible talent to your business will always be the bottom line of a recruitment strategy, but getting those people to stick around is just as vital.
It makes sense. If you look after your employees they will bring energy to their role, be good ambassadors for the company, and you can ensure your business will thrive.
So, what do employees want in order to stay with a company long-term? Well, aside from salary, a better balance between work and life was the number one requirement for employees, according to an ongoing survey of over 10,000 UK workers.
Flexibility is key, and there are many ways you can bring more balance to your company culture. Here we will discuss some of the options so you can implement the right one for your business.
The Nature of Work
Remember the ‘new normal’ that was talked about so much during the pandemic? Well, it’s here - but it’s been in the wings for a while.
The format of work has been in a state of flux for around 30 years, and the days of long commutes, grey cubicles and a strict 9 to 5 are coming to an end. As technology and the internet has taken over, both businesses and their employees have needed to constantly acclimatise.
Alongside the digital revolution, stress and burnout are on the rise, providing inclusivity towards neurodiverse and disabled people is non-negotiable, and the cost of living is creeping up.
While 30 years a traditional family could survive with just one parent working, today is a different story. In 2021 75% of mothers work and 92% of fathers [ONS data] were in work, meaning family commitments, household chores, hobbies and a social life must be carefully coordinated around a work pattern.
Well-being is thankfully being recognised as an important part of life. Spending time with friends and family, to recharge or enjoy hobbies can help prevent burnout, meaning that they bring their best selves to work. In fact, 59% of workers say they would consider moving to a new job with a company that offers better well-being benefits than their current employer.
There's a lot to consider, and it's not easy to break old habits; as a culture we’re still getting our heads around these changes. Fundamentally those in work want flexibility and businesses must adapt if they want to retain staff.
How to provide an attractive work/life balance for employees
The flexibility of your company work patterns may have already shifted during the pandemic, but you still might need to make sure it's beneficial to both the business and employees
The good news is, the idea of leisure and rest time actually benefiting productivity and happiness at work is beginning to take hold and there are companies all over the world trialling different methods and structures to see which bring the best results for everyone.
Here are a few ways to provide more balance. Remember not every one will be the right fit for your business or employees, so it's worth weighing up the pros and cons.
The four day work week
Between June and December 2022, over 60 companies in the UK trialled the four day work week which used a 100-80-100 model: 100% salary for 80% of the previous hours in exchange for a pledge of keeping productivity at 100%. The results showed improvement in staff well-being and retention, with 71% of participants reporting lower levels of burn out. More than 90% of the companies involved opted to continue with the new structure.
PROS
Lower burnout rates.
Staff retention.
CONS
Not as easily applicable to those businesses that need feet on the ground.
Hybrid working
Technology and digitalisation have gradually provided many with the ability to work from anywhere - the pandemic just kicked the practice into force. And we’ve seen that most businesses can operate effectively with hybrid or remote working.
Hybrid working has been shown to increase productivity and well-being, while reducing overheads for the company (and carbon emissions for the planet!). It also allows more comfortable environments for those with sensory issues and disabilities, options for people with children, and hiring talent without the need to relocate.
PROS
Aids inclusivity and diversity
Cost effective
Better for the environment
CONS
Not all employees have a suitable space to work at home
Less opportunity to talk and bond as a team
Encourage boundaries
With technology emerged an unwritten expectation that we should be constantly available. We’ve all taken a peek at emails in the evening, only for it to cloud our spare time with thoughts of work, but working out of hours should generally be discouraged.
As this issue is being recognised, it's actually making its way into law. In April 2021, Ireland introduced a ‘right to disconnect’ into law, ensuring employees would not be penalised for ignoring work emails whilst out of hours, and other countries including France, Italy, Spain and Portugal have followed suit.
While some may find peace of mind by firing off a quick late-night email in order to get a job done, it's useful to encourage and maintain boundaries for your employees.
Mentioning work hours in e-signatures, providing phones and computers specifically for work, and - if you are working late - making use of the 'schedule send' button (available from most email platforms) are all good practice and easy to implement.
PROS
Easy to implement
Allows freedom to disconnect
CONS
Can be tricky to enforce
Have discussions
If your staff understand you're open to change in work patterns, they will feel supported and understood, so it's time to get talking.
Perhaps some people would prefer a job share between two part timers, or flexitime to make sure they can do the school run. Maybe certain people work at home where they can focus better (or perhaps the workplace is the least distracting place for them!) You might not be able to please everyone, but opening the topic for discussion may bring some fresh ideas and help you better understand your employees needs.
PROS
Allowing your employees to feel heard
Tailoring solutions to fit your specific business
Increase trust between employers and staff
CONS
You may have to refuse some requests.
